morse



F. B. MORSE.

Carriage Joint.

Patented Oct. 26, 1869.

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AND H. D. SMITH 00., OF SAME PLACE.

e ters Patent No. 96,253, dated October 26, 1869.

IMPROVED SLATJRON FOR CARRIAQ-Efi.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part 6; the same.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, F. B. MORSE, of Plantsville, in the county of Hartford, and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Slat-Irons for Car-- riages; and I do hereby eclare the following, when taken in connection with e accompanying drawings, and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and'. which said drawings constitute part of this specifica-- tion, and represent, in-

Figure 1', a front view;

Figure 2, a side or edge view; and in Figure 3, a vertical central section through the prop andone of the irons.

This invention relates to an improvement in the irons or joints used upon carriages for hinging the bows, so that the top may be extended or thrown back, known to the trade as slat-irons.

Heretofore these-irons have been made of cheekpieces, enclosing the lower end of the slat-irons, they being hinged between the two cheeks. This makes a large and clumsy article, the joints of which soon become worn and loose.

The object of my invention is to overcome these diflicnlties; and consists informing the base, to which the irons are hinged, from a single piece, an arm extending to each of the irons, and halved? or shouldered on to the slat-irons, to form the joint, so that the wear is, to a great extent-takeh from the pivot, and also in the prop by which the slat-iron is attached to the carriage. 1

To enable others skilled in theart to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the same, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.-

A B G D represent the four irons, to each of which one of the bows of the top-is attached. 'These' may be more or less in number, according to the size and extent of'the top.

'E- isthe base of the joint, from which extend arms A B O D, respectively, to each of the bows.

The lower end of each of the irons is made thicker, as seen in figs. 2 and 3, and rounded from the centre of the pivot a, and slotted to receive a tongue, :1, on the ends of the arms, as seen in figs. 2 and 3, the arms being constructed so as to fit the ends of the irons, and form a seat, in 'which they may turn. The pivot a is passed through the iron and the tongue d,

so as to hold the iron inits place; but as the bearing for the iron is. formed on the end of the arm for the end 'of the brace, the pivot has only to hold the iron in place, the brace turning in theseat formed on the end of the arm.

'While I prefer to tongue the end of the arm and slot the end of thebrace, yet the two may be \halved.

together; but in that case more would be'reqnired of the pivot, and it, consequently, sho'nldbe stronger.

By this construction, a much lighter andmore genteel appearance is given to the ironthan by the common construction; and not only this, but the iron is much stronger and better, and as the work can all be per:

' formed by machinery, the cost is no more.

To securethe'sIat-lrons to the carriage, a prop is necessary; and while it is desirable that it should be of such construction that the top may be easily removed, it should also be such that the iron cannot he accidentally detached from the prop-a diiiiculty which is experienced in the attachment of slat-irons as commonly applied. 1

, I therefore form the prop H with a collar, 72, and a stud, n, on to which the slat-iron is fitted, and so as to bear against the collar, as seen in fig. 3.

The end of the stud n is threaded to receive 'a nut, L, which is made round, and so as to be easily turned,

by the fingers, on the end of the stud.

Then a bolt, f, is turned into the end -of the stud,

the neck M of the bolt corresponding in form to the nnt'L, and the head N ornamented in any desirable manner to correspond to the other prop of the carriage-top. This head is turned hard on to the nut L,

and prevents the nut from loosening, while the nut L holds the base of the slat-iron firmly in position.

Having fully described my invention,

-What I claim as'new and useful, and desire to .se-

cure by Letters Patent, is-

The herein -described slat-iron, consisting of the base E, with its arms A B, 8m, corresponding-wand combined with the irons A B, 8m, when the said irons and arms are constructed and jointed-together, substantially in the manner herein set forth.

I F; B. MORSE.

Witnesses:

. JOHN H. SHUMWAY,

A. J. TIBBI'rs. 

